A. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to devices that are used to secure loads on trucks or trailers. More specifically, this invention relates to winch bars used to operate strap winches to tighten the straps used to secure the load. Even more specifically, this invention relates to winch bars that have a ratchet mechanism to allow the user to more easily tighten the straps.
B. Background
As is well known in the trucking industry, tie-down straps are commonly used to secure cargo onto a truck or trailer, such as those trucks having a flat bed portion or flat bed trailers. Depending on the size of the load, one or more straps are used to secure the load. One end of each strap is connected to one side of the truck or trailer, usually using a stake or anchor ring, and the strap is placed over the load such that when tightened it will hold the load onto the truck or trailer. The opposite end of the strap is connected to a corresponding strap winch located on the opposite side of the truck or trailer. When the strap winch is properly and sufficiently operated, it pulls on the strap to securely hold the load in place on the upper surface of the truck or trailer. The typical strap winch has a ratchet mechanism and a winding drum, around which the strap is wound upon operation of the ratchet mechanism. Conventionally, the winding drum has one or more apertures that are configured to receive the tapered end of an elongated winch bar, as exemplified in related art patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,565 to Chan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,175 to Salemno and U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,154 to Edwards. The load is secured to the truck or trailer by inserting the winch bar into the winding drum aperture and pushing or pulling on the bar to rotate a portion of the strap around the drum. To continue tightening the strap, the bar is removed from the drum, inserted into another aperture and then pushed or pulled to rotate the drum and place more of the strap on the drum. The winch""s ratchet mechanism holds the drum in place to prevent the strap from unwinding when the bar is removed from the aperture. This process is repeated until the strap is tight against the load to secure it to the truck or trailer.
The aforementioned conventional method and mechanisms for securing a load to a truck or trailer using straps and strap winches has been used for many years and is believed to still be the most commonly utilized method. However, this method is known to have a number of significant limitations. The most common of which is the amount of time it takes to rotate the drum around a sufficient amount of turns to tighten the strap and secure the load. As set forth above, the winch bar has to be removed from the drum and then reinserted for each relatively small portion of the strap that is wound around the drum during each winding cycle. This then has to be repeated for each strap/winch combination on the truck or trailer. Another limitation with the current method and mechanisms is that a number of injuries have resulted from the winch bar slipping out of the winch when in use. Each time the winch bar is inserted or removed from the winch there is the potential that the ratchet mechanism will slip.
As an alternative to the typical winch bar, some ratcheting mechanisms utilize an elongated rewind crank that allows the user to rotate the crank and ratchet the winding drum to tie down the straps to secure the load to the truck or trailer. Related art patents which exemplify these types of cranks or winding bars used to ratchet the winding include U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,437 to Sumner, U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,637 and U.S. Patent No. D423,332 to Salter. A primary disadvantage of this type of ratcheting mechanism is the inability, at least the perceived inability, to provide sufficient leverage force on the winding drum to tighten the straps to hold the load. As a result, despite the known limitations of winch bars, the winch bar is the generally preferred device to utilize to operate the ratcheting mechanism.
The aforementioned patents present various apparatuses for use as a winch bar or crank for winding a strap around the winding drum of a strap winch. However, none of these patents disclose a winch bar that allows the user to wind the strap winch without removing the winch bar from the strap winch and without having to modify, at least to some extent, the configuration of the standard strap winch. Consequently, a need exists for a relatively inexpensive, easy and safe way to use the winch bar that reduces the amount of time it takes to effectively secure a load onto a truck or trailer with straps that is suitable for use with the unmodified standard strap winch. The preferred winch bar should be configured to work with conventional strap winches without modification to the strap winch and allow the user to rotate the winding drum without having to remove (and therefore reinsert) the winch bar into the drum apertures. The winch bar should allow the user to sufficiently and safely tighten the strap winch to secure the load to the truck or trailer.
The tie-down strap winch bar of the present invention solves the problems identified above. That is to say, the present invention discloses a new and useful winch bar for use with a conventional strap winch to wind a strap around a winding drum so as to tighten the strap and secure a load. The winch bar of the present invention is inserted into an aperture on the ratchet wheel side of the winch such that it interacts with the winch ratchet wheel to tighten the strap around the drum, thereby avoiding the need to repeatedly remove and reinsert the winch bar into the drum apertures. The present winch bar can be utilized with most standard strap winches without any need to modify the configuration of the strap winch.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the winch bar primarily comprises an elongated bar member, an insert member, a bar pawl and a spring to bias the bar pawl. The elongated bar member has a first end and an opposing second end, with the insert member attached at or near the first end of the bar member. The bar pawl has a first end and a second end. The first end of the bar pawl is pivotally attached to the bar member such that the second end of the bar pawl abuts the insert member when the winch bar is in a closed position. A first spring connector is attached to the bar member such that the spring is disposed between the first spring connector and the bar pawl. The spring should be configured to bias the bar pawl toward the insert member when the winch bar is in the closed position. The winch bar of the present invention is configured to operatively wind a strap winch having a ratchet mechanism that includes a winding drum with a longitudinal opening therein and a ratchet wheel, with a plurality of teeth thereon, operatively connected thereto. In use, when the insert member is engaged in the longitudinal opening the second end of the bar pawl will operatively engage the one or more teeth on the ratchet wheel. The winch bar winds the winding drum when the bar member is rotated in one direction and ratchets against the ratchet wheel when rotated in the opposite direction to allow winding of the winding drum without having to remove the winch bar from the ratchet mechanism of the strap winch.
The bar pawl can further comprise a second spring connector fixedly attached thereto, with the spring being disposed between the first spring connector and the second spring connector to bias the bar pawl towards the insert member or the teeth of the ratchet wheel. The second spring connector can be a pin element fixedly attached to the bar pawl. The first spring connector can be a cap screw that is attached to the connector that attaches the insert member to the bar member and can be located on the opposite side of the bar member from the insert member. The cap screw can comprise a hole therein attaching the spring to the cap screw. The second end of the winch bar can be tapered to allow the use of an extension bar or xe2x80x9ccheaterxe2x80x9d when additional force is needed to wind the strap winch. Although a number of configurations are possible for winch bar, the inventor has found that a tubular bar member which is approximately twelve to thirty-six inches long is generally sufficient. Because the winch bar is utilized in outdoor conditions, it should be made out of light weight and corrosion resistant materials, such as aluminum and plated steel.
Accordingly, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a winch bar that overcomes the disadvantages associated with presently available winch bars, which are used to operate a strap winch so as to tighten the straps and secure a load to a truck or trailer, without requiring modification to existing strap winches.
It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a winch bar that can interact with and operate conventional strap winches so as to tighten the straps and secure a load to a truck or trailer surface.
It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a winch bar that has a bar ratchet mechanism to allow the winch bar to rotate the winding drum on a strap winch without removing the bar from the strap winch.
It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a winch bar comprising a bar member having an insert member located at the first end thereof for insertion into an opening located at the ratchet wheel side of the winch strap, a bar pawl for interaction with the ratchet wheel member portion of the ratchet mechanism and a spring interconnecting the insert member and the bar pawl for engaging the bar pawl with the ratchet mechanism ratchet wheel.
The above and other objectives of the present invention will be explained in greater detail by reference to the attached figures and the description of the preferred embodiment which follows. As set forth herein, the present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, mode of operation and combination of processes presently described and understood by the claims.